The Crystal War
by MerryxMaking
Summary: Saix is lucky; he has yet to discover the true realities of war. But when the Nazis start to take over his town, what can he do to help those at risk? And how far will he go to keep his secret? Xemsai and others. Rated T for language and sexual references
1. Chapter 1: Saix

AN: Another Xemsai

AN: Another Xemsai! And others :3. And in case people don't know, Århus is in Denmark. Well I really think I did well for the storyline of this one, so please try to review to tell me how I'm doing! Oh, and the story is in Saïx's POV unless I say otherwise.

Mum and Dad were talking about the war again. That's all Dad's seemed to want to talk about since he came home, although I thought he'd want to get away from it. It was one of his few leaves he got from fighting, so I thought that he would want to discuss happier subjects, but all we hear about is how things are going for us and everything else that goes along with that. As I jogged slightly downstairs, I considered how amazingly lucky I was: my house was relatively large and still untouched by warfare, I still had both my parents and I was not at risk or persecution. I had friends who were, but the Jewish persecution was yet to hit our suburban town. Savouring the estranged smell of fresh bacon and eggs, I embraced my father because taking my place at the table. At fifteen, I was considered too young to fight and Mum seemed to get so upset every time anyone mentioned my coming of age and signing up to fight for King and country. She gleefully waltzed in, carrying a tray with three plates of traditional English breakfasts (which had cost a ridiculous amount of ration tickets, but we had agreed to make an effort for Dad. It was also an odd saying, considering that we were in Århus). Once we had all settled down to eat, they continued their previous discussion.

"They think we're in the lead, but the Germans are catching up…"  
"Oh please, Can't we just drop it while Saïx is here?" I sighed. Mum still treated my as a baby; an excuse to get away from anything she did not like.

"For God's sake Larxene! The boy's going to be a man in three years! He has to know how to face the world!" My eyes darted between the arguing couple as if I were watching tennis. Mum says this, Dad retaliates with that…on and on. In the end, I just got so tired of hearing them argue over me as if I had not even been there.

"Mum! Dad! We're supposed to be happy that we're together again! Have you actually considered that this might be the last time the three of us get to be a family!? Something might happen and all you do is fight!" The silence as I left the room just showed me that I had reached them. I had not meant to scream about us being separated; I loathed the thought. And yet, it was always there, lingering at the back of my mind. Just reminding me what could happen. Throwing myself on the silky grass of our garden, I admired the scenery. It was such an open space, lined with flowers and a small forest which I had never fully explored. I was tempted to, but the familiar sound of my closest friend's sitar brought me to decide against it. Maybe later, I thought. By then, I was an expert at climbing over the fence between our houses and just sitting in the garden with him. It was the first place Mum would look if I was not in the house, and Xaldin never seemed to mind my being there. The sound of my landing brought Demyx back to Earth with a startle. I laughed at the stunned rabbit expression which he wore and sat down next to him.

"Jesus, Saïx! You have to start warning me whenever you're going to just jump over the fence!" My smile faded at the seriousness of his tone; Demyx had never sounded so scared in all the years I had known him.

"Why? You know I always come over this way."  
"You could be…you know…one of them." The blond's voice faded as he finished the sentence. Demyx may have been my best friend and he may also have been one of the friendliest and most liked person in the area, but that had no affect on the Nazis. To them, he was just another Jew, more 'scum' for them to rid the world of. The thought of it disgusted me. But I put on happy face; I had to comfort him enough for him to understand that everything was okay.

"Dem! You idiot! Do you really think I'd let them storm through my garden and climb over the fence without doing something? Honestly, you've been hanging around with Zexion too much!" He giggled slightly, which made me feel a small sense of accomplishment.

I sat down next to him. When they first moved in, the one thing I noticed was how Demyx seemed fascinated by the pond. He would watch the way the water rippled in the wind, and how it transported leaves and various other objects light enough to float from one end to another. It was not what was in the pond that he admired; it was the water that filled it. Sitting down next to him, I saw that he was once more admiring the clear surface of the circular pool of water.

"Look at the way it ripples, Saïx. Isn't it amazing how each one seems to be perfect every time?" I smiled and nodded. I would never understand Demyx's thing about water, but I could at least try to. Sitting back and shutting my eyes, I enjoyed what Mother Nature had to offer. Demyx continued to play his sitar with the birds singing in time, the sun shone brilliantly across the garden and everything finally seemed at peace with itself. For those few minutes, I forgot everything; that Demyx and Xaldin were at a constant risk of being killed, that I may never see my father again and that the world was against itself. That was until Demyx stopped playing. I opened my eyes to find him wandering over to Xaldin, who looked far more serious than usual. I decided that it might time for me to go back. Waving goodbye, I climbed back into my garden with as little grace as possible. It was then that I decided to see what lay beyond the comfort zone of my house.

The small forest was, as the name suggested, small. But it was dark and disorientating, making it easy to get lost in. That was why I had never ventured farther than the light. But that day I felt slightly more adventurous. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remembered that I had not left the property of my mother and father, but it seemed like another world to me. Then it struck me, for the past ten minutes I had been hearing the calming sound of running water. Following it, I eventually came across a patch of light where the sound was at its loudest. I pulled back the branches to reveal a sight I had only ever seen painted in fairytales. A waterfall, at least seven foot tall and running for as long as I could see stood proudly in the trees. The water was perfectly clear, with nothing to disrupt its flow or the perfect white aura that surrounded it. My first thoughts were how I would have to show this to Demyx. Walking closer, I reached out to touch the water. It fell gently onto my hand, distorting its reflection. I was being invited further, as if this work of art had something to show me. Once more forgetting everything, I stepped further into the water, enjoying its warmth and serenity.

Opening my eyes, I discovered that I was totally dry, and definitely in another world. The place I had walked into seemed exactly like Earth, except with a clear blue sky, only decorated with the Sun which shone brilliantly. There were paths dotted around the area, but the rest of the land was lush greenery. I did not have to walk far to spot a small village (which looked as if it had been perfectly preserved since the 1800s) crowded with people happily going about their business. Not far from the village was the most majestic palace I had ever laid eyes on. King Rex would certainly have been impressed by it. My expression must have portrayed my feelings greatly, because I was asked time and time again if I needed help or if I was okay. Claiming to be okay, I continued around this picturesque scene, taking it in, wondering how somewhere as amazing as there could exist in such a dark time. I was in such a daze that I did not notice the young man in front of me until I had walked into him. My head hurt from the collision, but I apologised first. I was new to this place, and I did not want my first impression to have been that I was clumsy and rude. It took a lot for me not to gasp at the man I had just knocked into (much to my embarrassment). He was a wonder; for never had I seen anything so beautiful. He seemed to be roughly the same age as me, and his hair was long and silver, reflecting the Sun's light. It flowed gracefully past his shoulders, with many layers and bangs at the front. His tanned skin caused him to seem Hispanic, and his amber/syrup eyes appeared to hold the mysteries of a thousand unsolved crimes, but gave a warm sense of kindness to me. He seemed to have stepped out of a play, for his clothes were so regal and flamboyant. It was obvious that he was of a high social status. If ever a picture-perfect person had been tossed into the harshness of an imperfect world, he was certainly them.

"Oh...I-I'm so sorry... I wasn't focusing and…" the man stared oddly at me, causing me to lose my trail of though. I had no idea what he was thinking, but I clearly had confused him.

"I don't think I've ever met you before. And I know for a fact that I know this place inside out…"

"I'm not from here. I'm not too sure how I got here, but this isn't where I come from." Gasping slightly at my comment, it was blatant that this man knew nothing outside this place. How lucky he was, to not have to worry about his best friend and others close to him.

"So…there is a place outside of here? Come! Walk with me, tell me everything about it!" Suddenly filled with the excitement of a foreigner, I wondered how he could possibly understand the war. Still, there was no harm in trying.

"There's a lot to say. My name is Saïx, by the way."

"Xemnas." The man extended his hand and smiled. Shaking it, I was reminded of how similar my world and Xemnas' world actually were.

We walked for what seemed like an eternity. I started off with the geographical side, explaining about the countries and such. That itself amazed Xemnas. I then got to the good things, such as the cultures and all the places there were and all the good people over the years. But I finally reached the world's current state, explaining the war and how it broke out. Xemnas' excitement faded, and he seemed to be purely horrified.

"So wait…this Hitler man…why is he killing people!?"  
"Because…he thinks they're not right. He had something against people called Jews, because of their religion. If someone doesn't agree with him or fit his description of a 'perfect person', he kills them." Xemnas gasped, much louder that the way he did when he first realised where I came from. He questioned about how Hitler got away with it and did no one see that it was just grotesque?

"Yes, that's what we're doing. And the British and all the allies. We're fighting him so that everyone can live." Xemnas smiled and relaxed slightly.

"At least you're one of the good people."

When I finally left, it was very late. My parents did not question my whereabouts, and we just ate dinner, listened in about the British efforts before I finally went to bed. I made a mental note to visit Xemnas the next day. As I has promised.


	2. Chapter 2: Saix

AN: Oh my, this took a while 0.o. Anyways, not much to say (apart from 'green ones' were Nazis, but I'm sure you guys got that anyway), so enjoy 

Same daily ritual. Except this time there was no Dad. I could tell that something was wrong from the solemn atmosphere which clung tightly to the entire house. Confused and scared, I questioned my father's whereabouts.

"He had to go back, sweetie. We need him on the border to keep the Germans out. You have to understand that."

Mum ruffled my hair and walked off again to make breakfast. She returned seconds later with a piece crumpled paper. It was addressed to me, in Dad's cursive handwriting. At least he had the manners to leave a note.

"He left one for me, but I guess he had too much to say to write it on one piece of paper."

Again, Mum turned for the kitchen, leaving me in the crippling silence to read what may be my father's last words.

_Dear Saïx,_

_By the time you will be reading this, I will already be returning to the borderline front. I do wish that I could spend more time with you and your mother, but we can't let the green ones in. The resistance has been extraordinary, but I have to do my part. For King and Country. You must understand this, my boy. I know you'll forgive me one day, when you can walk and act freely as a true Dane. I need you to look after your mother. She's a tough woman, but at the end of the day, she'll need you as something to hold onto. You've grown enough for me to trust you to do this for me, and I hope that God will be merciful enough to let me return to see you grow into something spectacular. Look after yourself well, son. And remember that I will always fight for you to have a bright future, not to be stunted by the green ones. I will return as soon as I can, and then we can talk as men, seeing as you are no longer a little boy. Just yesterday, your mother and I were teaching you how to walk. Now, you can run confidently through the town square with your head held high. Keep yourself and your mother safe, and never trust anyone outside our comfort zone. Ve Vil Vinde!_

_Best wishes and love,_

_Dad_

I never noticed that I was crying until I began choking on the tears. Dad had so much enthusiasm; he always mentioned how proud he was that I joined the resistance. He was a man with a strong sense of morality, a man who would die for what he felt was right. I ran to my bedroom to tuck the note under my pillow. If it went missing, I would never forgive myself. Wiping my eyes, I returned downstairs. I knew that I had to be brave for Mum, seeing as I was all she had. We ate in silence, both stunned by Dad's sudden departure. I helped around the house for a bit, but it was not long before I was called for a resistance meeting.

Every few days or so, all the members of the resistance in Århus would meet in a small apartment to discuss our previous efforts and what else we can do to get rid of the Nazis. So far, little has worked to force them to leave, but they certainly pay less attention to Århus, making it a safer place for Jews and others that suffer persecution to live in. The same group of people were there; Riku, Sora, Kairi and Namine. We never really got on until the war started, when we all joined the resistance. I guessed it was finally time to put aside out petty differences and fight for our country. We were a small division in the whole Danish resistance, but we did our part. Only this time there were two others, a tall man with electric red hair which resembled a hedgehog and two triangular tattoos under his eyes and a smaller, blond boy whose hair looked as if the wind had swept it to one side. Both of them looked shy and huddled together. Taking my seat next to the redhead (who backed away at first, until he remembered that everyone in the room was on his side) and questioned our two new members. Not that I minded the fact that they were there. If anything, I appreciated anyone who may support us. It was just that I had never seen them before...anywhere.

"Oh, this is Axel and Roxas. They lived on Copenhagen until the Nazis came along. They were scared that they would be persecuted for being homosexual."

Nodding with understanding, I made sure that they understood that they were still welcome. I had nothing against people being gay (I was completely in love with some guy from a place that no one else knew about for Christ's sake), and they seemed like decent people. We agreed to join with the rest Århus division and arrange a boycott and protest march. The Nazis would lose a lot of money if people refused to buy anything to do with them. It was just by chance that Axel and Roxas were staying with a family not too far from my house. I knew them well, and I was not surprised that they took them in. Nonetheless, the redhead was still uneasy.

"Don't worry, they'll look after you two until this all blows over, then you can go back to Copenhagen."

"It's just that…well we saw what they did. And I'm sure they'll pay more attention to this place eventually. We can't run forever."

Giving Axel one last reassuring comment and patting his back, as a way of showing friendship, I parted with the two and continued home. I still had to visit Xemnas.

Mum never questioned the fact that I headed straight for the garden. Maybe she thought that I needed space. I was still upset about Dad, but I had calmed down a lot. Where Xemnas lived was so happy, making it impossible for my first initial shock to remain. Passing through the waterfall again seemed even more thrilling than the first time. Possibly because I knew what I was going to see, possibly because I could savour each little moment rather than let them slip away. The fields and town seemed so familiar now, despite the fact that I had only seen them once. However, I was still a stranger and knew no one other than Xemnas. I had an awful feeling in my stomach that it would not be as easy for me to find him as it was last time. Suddenly, it hit me: he knew the whole town by heart. Therefore, everyone must have known him. Asking an elderly lady where I could find him, she stared at me as if I had gone mad.

"I'm really sorry, but I'm not from here, and I promised him that I would see him today. He's very interested in something which is going on in the place that I'm from."

Still staring, she pointed at the giant palace I had noticed the first time I visited this place. I nodded in thanks and set off. So Xemnas had a really high social status….impressive. I felt slightly threatened by the palace and the people around me. I knew nobody except Xemnas, was not familiar with my surroundings and simply did not know what to expect. Thankfully, the place slightly reminded me of a smaller and older Århus, so I made it to the palace quite easily. The only time I'd ever been close to anything like it was when Dad took me to Copenhagen before the war and we'd seen the King's palace. But this was different; almost magical. I was entranced by the majestic building before me, yet I was scared of it; I wanted to go further, but I also wanted to turn back. It truly is amazing just how much a place can affect you.

The foyer itself was outstanding, roughly the same size as the lower story of my house and highly decorated. Everywhere, servants were running to attend to whatever errands they were given, and no one was wasted. I was too busy admiring the place to notice the one person I was looking for stand beside me until he finally spoke.

"It's been a while since someone's admired this place as much as you seem to."

I jumped slightly, causing Xemnas to laugh and apologise for scaring me.

"I'm glad you came again, I was wondering if you'd ever come back."  
"Sorry, we have a lot of resistance work going on and I needed to help with that."

I could not help but smile at his expression when I said that. He really was clueless about the war. In a way, I did not want to spoil it; his world was still untainted by the actions of mine. It would not be right to let them in. Still, Xemnas was interested, and there was no harm in telling him stories. Just as long as he never got involved. We sat for hours as I explained the resistance and answered his questions. It was strange just how much he reminded me of a small child, always desiring to know more. However, I grew slightly uneasy as his expression once more changed from awe to horror. But how could words paint the total picture of what was happening? Xemnas could never understand what was happening unless he was to physically experience it. To see someone you admire and love put their life on the line so that there can be peace, to see everyone living on a knife's edge in fear of others. Hopefully, he would never have to.

"So…these Nazis, do they actually agree with what they're doing?"

"Some do, some don't. But both they and their families will suffer if they don't follow orders. Some of them try to beat the system, but they're always caught."  
"At least they tried, that means they still show some signs of humanity." That sentence caught me; the Nazis were humans, but they reduced themselves to act as animals. Blindly following orders and not showing any remorse or sorrow for those who die, or any signs of even caring. It really made me think; Hitler must be worse than we all thought. To reduce ordinary men and women into that…the consequences must have been as horrifying as everyone said they were. It was strange how Xemnas could almost see right through the wall of water that separated our worlds and knew all about the war already. The questions kept coming, only they were getting harder and harder to answer. It made me realise just how little I actually knew about the war besides the fighting. I knew nothing about how Hitler got the way he was, or most things political. King Rex had always told us that he would handle all of that for us, and we were helping his majorly by keeping the Nazis out.

I told Xemnas about the camps and what happened there. Then we talked about Demyx and Xaldin, and how they were under the constant threat of a raid. Then Axel and Roxas, and how they had to flee their homes to buy time from the Nazis. All of this sickened Xemnas the same way it sickened me. Suddenly, he stood and started saying how brilliant it was and asking why he had not thought of it before (by it I did not mean the war or the Nazis, at the time I had no idea what he was talking about). Questioning him, he grabbed me and pulled me up, clearly very excited about his idea.

"It's simple. You take your friends who are under persecution and you bring them here! There's no way the Nazis can get them if they're here."

"Xemnas…that's a good idea, but how would you accommodate for all of them? I mean, you'd need to find a place to put them and feed them and make sure that they can last until the Nazis leave…" He dismissed my remark, claiming that there was space and that it would be better for them to be there. I nodded in agreement, because it would be a lot better for all of them to stay with Xemnas. The claws of Hitler could never reach them if he did not know where they were.

Neither of us noticed our visitor until there was a silence in our conversation. He scared me at first, because I had no idea he was there, but Xemnas seemed used to people just appearing. The man was tall, and I couldn't help but stare at his eyes. They were large and striking green, so they were the first thing that hit you. He had long blond hair, and appeared to be wearing a lab coat. What an odd world this place was; scientists were wandering up to royalty like it was nothing. If someone did that in my world, they could be shot for it, or severely beaten.

"Pardon me, but we need to discuss the results of the experiments from the other day…" The man bowed to Xemnas, who nodded in return.

"Oh, right…yes. Perhaps later, Vexen. I have company right no-oh! I should really introduce you two." Xemnas put his hand on my shoulder and pointed at the man.

"Saïx, this is Vexen. He's the Head of Scientific Research. Lately he's been doing a lot of work on the heart…it really is fascinating. And Vexen, this is Saïx. He's from a place outside of ours and had been telling me all about it!" I smiled at Xemnas' enthusiasm about both mine and Vexen's situations. Vexen looked at me sceptically, making it two people who thought I was mad.

"Sounds intriguing." He commented, not caring to hide the suspicion in his voice. However, there was no time for us to argue over my sanity, as Vexen rushed out very quickly as soon as he heard someone calling for him. Xemnas laughed at him, but I was very confused.

I decided it was time to go. The voice had been this person called Marluxia (who had to have been the most feminine man I had ever met). He, like Xemnas, had no doubt about me when I mentioned being from another place, and sat with us as Xemnas questioned me further about the war. Apparently Marluxia's job involved tending to all the plants in the town or something. Either way, it only accented his femininity. I felt terrible when I stood to leave; the disappointment in Xemnas' face really made me want to stay. But I had to go home, and we both knew that.  
"Hey, how about this. I'll come back tomorrow, and I'll bring pictures of places in my world, so you can see what it looks like." Xemnas' face suddenly lit up, and he grabbed my arm so tightly I felt the blood circulation being cut off.  
"Really!?"  
"Yes. Not everywhere, but I have loads of Århus and Copenhagen, and a few of Charlottenlund…and I think we have some of London from last year." Xemnas grew more and more excited as I mentioned all the places, like a child at Christmas when they see all their gifts. Promising him the pictures and Marluxia some flowers, I took my leave. I finally had a way of helping my friends; I'll take them all to Xemnas. I can finally protect them.

All night I thought about how strange that world was, as no one was that open here. And all night I could not get the image of Xemnas smiling out of my head, as it had to have been the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.


	3. Chapter 3: Saix

AN: And this is where the fun all begins! Well, all the good stuff of the story anyways. Xemsai next chapter…and a bit in this one 8D. ^_^ Keep reviews coming please (:

I guess Xemnas had overestimated me. Getting Demyx to him would be easy; the idea of a waterfall would amaze him greatly. But the others, especially Roxas, would be a lot more difficult. There was no way that any of them would believe me until they saw the little world, but I could try and find a way to convince them. Tell them that I knew of a place where they were out of reach to the persecution. I decided that I had to do this; for my friends. I could help them and I would help them. I was meeting with Axel that day, to show him around and all that. Maybe I could mention it to him then. The man was so desperate to protect Roxas that maybe it would not be that hard to get him to come with me. Roxas may be sceptical about it, but it seemed as if he would follow Axel wherever he went. I smiled to myself - this might not be so hard. Maybe I could do it. If only I could tell the others in the resistance. They'd be proud of my work. Suddenly the day seemed much brighter because I knew that today would be the day that I would help Axel and Roxas. Then I would go to Demyx, only he'd be less work.

The roads all seemed abandoned and cold as I wandered down them. The summer sun shone brilliantly and the leaves offered occasional shade patches. The children should have been outside playing. The adults should have been in the cafes chatting about their plans for the summer vacations. Everyone should be enjoying the weather and having a good time. The Nazis had broken our spirits, made us all afraid. And I knew that things would take so long to return to the way they were. I could never forgive those bastards for what they've done to us. To the world. To my friends. Axel seemed edgy when I saw him, eyeing every person with suspicion. So much for innocent until proven guilty.

"Hey, you've got to calm down. You'll raise suspicion if everyone sees you all tense and stuff." Axel started at the sound of my voice, spun round, then relaxed when he saw me. I was flattered to not be considered a threat.

"I'm sorry, really. But in Copenhagen you couldn't trust anyone. And I guess the habit's going to be hard to break."

"Is it really that bad there?" I started to feel sympathy for the man's hardships. "Not even your friends and family?"  
"It's hard to tell what side they're on. I've seen my family turn against me and take to the Nazis. That's what made me so cautious all the time. And now I have to look after Roxas as well, so I have to know who's on my side." I guessed that Axel could read my emotions, as he apologised for ranting about his life story to me. I felt a small part of my heart break for him when he said his family turned on him. I had no idea how that must have felt, but I would not wish it on anyone. From then on, I decided that I would be his family, look after him the way they should have. Maybe if Axel had a home that loved him, he and Roxas would not have had to move to Århus, alone and with nothing. We walked in the silence, me pointing out everyone and everything and him taking it in. He probably evaluated everyone to see who he would remain wary of, but who could blame him?

"And that's Mr Buzorach; he owns the bookstore on Himmel Street." Axel glared at the man.

"I don't trust him."  
"Really? Why not? He's been good to me all my life."  
"He reminds me of my dad."

We sat down at around noon in a small café, one which I always liked. You could see the cherry blossoms bloom and when the wind blew they would paint the road pink and white. It was also great at sunset, as you could see all the colours blend in with the sky and watch them all fade as the sun disappeared. But we cared little for the view at the moment, as I had work to do. I had to convince Axel that I could take him and Roxas somewhere safe without sounding insane. But now that I knew his situation and view on people, maybe I could use that to my advantage. I could choose my words to make them sound appealing to him, while I maintain my status of being unthreatening and trustworthy.

"Axel, I need to talk to you about something, it involves both you and Roxas." The redhead looked up, gesturing at me to continue on.

"Well, you know that I've lived here for all my life. But lately I've found this place. A really amazing place. And it's completely untouched by the Nazis and there's no way they could find it. It'd be the perfect place for the two of you to hide out until the war ends."

"You sure you haven't just been seeing things? The Nazis know where everything is and they'd find it eventually." Sighing, I realised that this would be a lot of effort. But I had to keep at it. There had to be a way for me to convince Axel to go with me. I knew there had to be.

"No, listen. I know it sounds ridiculous and I didn't believe it at first either. But trust me, this will work. There is no way in hell that the Nazis will get to us. You've got to believe me Axel." He pulled a face; contemplating what he was to do. Either trust me and live away from everything, or stay and risk being caught. There was no pressure on him to go with me; after all, it was his choice. But I really wanted to prove our friendship, and there's no better way than to offer protection.

"Look, Saïx. At the moment, I don't want to be brought up just to be knocked down again, and I can't let that happen to Roxas. Are you certain that we'll be safe from the Nazis for the rest of the war if I go with you?" I smiled.

"I promise." Those two words were tossed around carelessly a lot; people made promises they knew they were unable to keep. But I meant this. Standing, I stretched my hand out to Axel; as a sign that he could put his faith in me. He smiled and took my hand, following me. Axel had trusted a lot of people that had let him down, but I took satisfaction in the knowledge that I would not be one of them.

"Umm…Axel, what are you doing?" Roxas had been asking him that for the past ten minutes, and still Axel gave no response. He just hurried about, packing everything they had and double checking that nothing was left behind.

"Roxas, sweetheart, Saïx knows somewhere were we don't need to worry about anything. We're going to stay there until the war dies down." Smiling and gently kissing the blond, Axel stood and looked around once more.

"I think that's it, Saïx." I nodded. It was amazing how Roxas never questioned anything Axel told him; he just assumed that Axel was doing what was best for them. Just proof that the best relationships are built on trust. They thanked the family before following me down to my house. Roxas stared at me a few times, but it was normal for him to be suspicious. Even Axel had no idea what to expect. Xemnas would be so happy to meet other people from my world, and I was certain that he would be kind to them.

"Saïx…this is your house."

"Bear with me guys. I know where I'm going." The two looked at each other, both totally confused by my directions. Roxas clung to Axel's waist most of the time, with Axel kissing his head every so often to remind him that he was there. We continued through the dark of the trees, and I could tell that they both felt nervous. I would too, except I had everything under control. Stopping at the waterfall, I stood and motioned them to go in.  
"Saïx…I really think that you've lost it. Maybe we should go back." It was the first time Roxas had actually directed words at me, and it was a little degrading that his first conversation with me involved my (in)sanity. Sighing (I knew this part would be difficult) I once again motioned towards the water.

"I told you it'd seem mad, but you have to trust me one more time." Axel smiled and nodded, before walking towards the waterfall. Roxas stayed stationary. The redhead finally turned to him and offered his hand.  
"Come on, Roxy. Everything's going to be okay. Just follow us." He turned to me, gesturing that I go in with them. Shrugging, I stepped right into the waterfall and into my second world. Axel and Roxas shortly followed. I could not help but laugh at their stunned-bunny expressions.

"Now, tell me, what kind of Nazi is going to just walk this far into a garden and decide to walk into a waterfall?" However, I stopped laughing as much when I was almost knocked over by Axel hugging/jumping on me. Returning the gesture, we parted and them he returned to Roxas' side, like a boomerang.

"You really have saved us, Saïx. Thank you."

I walked them over to Xemnas, who (as I had guessed) was thrilled to meet them. He called over the Captain of the Army, not that they needed one, to find them a place to stay. The man had black hair, pulled back into a ponytail and one eye was covered by an eye patch, thus leaving us to assume that there was no eye there at all. He was called Xigbar, and seemed very energetic and cocky for an army captain. Nonetheless, he followed his orders exactly, and found the pair a nice house near the palace. I helped them unpack, and then left to talk with Xemnas.

We walked around the palace, and ended up on one of the many balconies overlooking the grounds. The sun was still high up in the sky, and the land which Xemnas owned was breathtaking. Lush grass stretched as far as the eye could see, adorned with exotic plants and a large pond. We stood in silence for a few minutes, just taking in the scenery. Though to Xemnas, this must all be normal. And I thought my garden was nice.

"I take it most houses aren't like this where you're from?"  
"Jesus, Xemnas. Even the King's palace doesn't seem as nice as this! It's all so…incredible." Xemnas smiled. The gentle breeze reminded me of summer. This place must be a season behind us, I thought. Xemnas wandered over to the edge of the balcony and took something, before slowly walking back.

"Have you ever seen one of these before?" I gasped at the flower in his hands. It was roughly the size of a rose, except the petals were a mix of yellow and blue, both colours fading into a gentle pink. The centre was the colour of honey, and had small black spots on it. I shook my head, to which Xemnas smiled once again.

"Marluxia told me loads about this. He called it an Eftixia flower. Apparently it means happiness." I smiled; the flower did seem very cheerful. Xemnas took one of my hands in his and placed the flower in it.

"Take it, so that you will always be happy." I tucked the stem of the flower carefully into my shirt pocket.

"I have something for you too. I remember promising to bring you pictures, yes?" Xemnas lit up at the remark, and immediately drew closer to me as I showed him King Rex's palace, the infamous church spiral from which the architect supposedly threw himself because he was told it was going the wrong way, Big Ben…everything I could. He seemed so amazed by it all.

"You can keep them, if you want." Offering the photographs to him and nodding that it was fine with me if he wanted to take them; he pulled them from my hand.

"Your world seems so fascinating, all these places to go to."  
"When we've recovered from the war, Xemnas. I'll take you there. I'll show you around Denmark." I felt my heart melt at the look of excitement that swept across his face. I was really falling for him. Without warning, he pulled me close to him, holding me. I slowly wrapped my arms around his chest, shutting my eyes and savouring the moment. We were so close, and it felt so right. As if we belonged that way; together. I could feel his breath on my cheek (both of which had gone a fiery red) and he whispered. His voice seemed so much softer, more entrancing.

"Saïx, promise me that you'll see me everyday."  
"I promise."  
"And promise me that one day, we can be together." I felt my heart stop for that one moment in time.

_Xemnas wanted to be with me._

"I promise."


	4. Chapter 4: Xemnas

AN: Oh my…mega death of the year no? I'm really sorry about the hugely massive oversized wait for this, but I promise I'll make it up to you in the form of…*drum roll*…REQUESTS!  Oh, and Xemmy's POV this time, just to be different.

Waking up to Vexen screaming at Marluxia to stop following him was never a pleasant thing. Groaning, I rolled over and pulled the sheets over my head. It was…God knows whatever time in the morning, at today was one of the rare days I got off. Vexen should be thankful that Marluxia admired (if in a slightly sexual way) him so much, at least it showed he was wanted. I could not help but smile at that thought. Saïx loved me. At least, he acted as if he did. I prayed he did. Over the small amount of time I had known him, I had grown my own admiration for him. The war he coped with the hardships of his world and protects people he barely knew. More to the point, he trusted me to look after them. He clearly had a lot of faith in mankind. Or maybe just me. Maybe I was completely over thinking. Who thinks on their days off anyway? Realising that there was no point to trying to return to sleep, I went about my usual routine of getting showered, dressed and ready for whatever today might want to throw at me. I guessed that I should go check up on Saïx's friends…what were their names again…I forgot. But it'd be hard to miss the one with red hair anyway. Axel and Roxas, there you go.

It was a really beautiful day, and I found myself wondering if it was a nice day where Saïx lived. Did we have the same weather? It was a stupid thing to wonder about, but the idea of there being something outside of the here was really exciting. I wanted so much to go see it, but mid-war was probably a bad time to do so. Maybe afterwards, when his world (or at least his part of it) had repaired itself, he'd let me. It sounded so much larger than here. Still, that just added to the excitement. Breaking away from my thoughts, I carefully knocked on the door to the house the two were staying in. It was not the palace, but still very big, and it was the best I could do on such short notice. I never realised that Saïx would take up my offer so quickly. I supposed he just wanted to do something as soon as he could, and before I changed my mind. Not that I would, but he was not to know that. Roxas (I guessed he was the small blond one) answered very timidly. But I could not blame him; he'd been brought into a place that no one else was too sure about, so he had every right to be afraid. But I was certain that they'd settle in quickly. After all, the environment here was far from hostile. He nodded shakily and stepped aside slightly, inviting me in. He was very polite, but quiet. Must still be afraid.

"Um…w-would you…"

Roxas trailed off, and it made me wonder if he knew what he was going to offer me in the first place. I laughed slightly. Not to make fun of him, but because it was sweet that he was so afraid. He may have been a teenager, but that semi-sentence clearly showed that he was still a small child at heart. I placed my hand reassuringly on his shoulder.  
"Its okay, I just came to see if everything was okay with you." I bent down so that I was level with him.

"Don't be afraid of us, okay? I'm not sure what's going on where you come from, but it can't reach you now. And no one here is going to hurt you or Axel. So you have nothing to worry about."

Relieved that Roxas was relaxing slightly, I stood back up. Axel wandered in (almost as if on cue) and looked at me, then at Roxas, then back at me. Although he did it in a slightly comical way, I kept the urge to laugh back.

"Is there a problem?"  
Roxas shook his head at the redhead, the smiled slightly. Obviously to calm him down. I had never seen people so tense and worried in a very long time. Showed how problem free my life really was. Or maybe theirs had really just become that bad. Roxas then turned to me.  
"I-I'm really sorry, Mister. But I d-don't remember your name…"

"Xemnas." I smiled. The blond then turned back to Axel, but continued to gesture towards me.

"Xemnas just came to make sure that everything was okay."

Axel smiled and nodded in thanks. Roxas then left to go…do whatever it was that he wanted to do. I made a note to myself not to leave him alone with Marluxia. Axel gestured to one of the sofas, and we both sat. He seemed a lot more confident than Roxas, and I could see him being very protective. It was a good thing, because Roxas seemed very timid and easily overpowered.

"Look, I just…thank you, for all this. You really have no idea how much it means to us that you're letting us stay here."

I shook my head.

"No, I don't really. But I guessed that it meant a lot to everyone, and besides, it'd be good for everyone here to see some new faces."

We talked for what must have been hours, about the area, Marluxia (yes, Marluxia. He was really something that I felt I needed to warn Axel about) and various other things. Axel told me about the place he and Roxas came from…Copenhagen, I think it was…and why they had to leave. More horror stories about Nazis and Hitler and what they did to those who were unlike them. All because they were not what they considered 'perfect people', which disgusted me. And to think that people agreed with them. It was sickening, even to me, and I had not experienced the war. We had not seen war for years, so long that we had forgotten how devastating it could be. Or at least I had. No one knew about us, and so no one could find a reason to fight with us. My world was happily secluded from everywhere else. Yet we were never told about the places that lay beyond the life we knew, until one day a young man who had been forced to grow up too early had broken through one of the barriers. After I left Axel and wandered aimlessly around the palace courtyards, all the things I never dreamed of considering were now opening up to me as possible realities.

_Did our forefathers not tell us about the outside to protect us or to punish us?_

_Did the barriers keep them out, or us in?_

_Was it time to open the barriers and make ourselves known?_

_Was the risk of death worth it?_

At that moment, I knew that fully opening the barriers would simply destroy Saïx's plan. He had finally found a sanctuary for his friends, and I was more than happy to assist him in protecting them, so advertising ourselves would mean that they were back to having nowhere to hide. For now, things would remain this way, the dark and secluded room having only a small gap in the doorway so that small rays of light could get in. Maybe one day, the door would open completely.

The rest of the day passed as any other would: Vexen was **still** screeching (it had evolved to that from screaming) at Marluxia to leave him alone. Marluxia just found it cute and continued to pester him. Getting involved with those two was a death wish, so I stayed well away from the situation by going and talking to Xigbar, the semi-police force of our small town. He just made sure everything stayed in order. It was not a hard job, but he enjoyed it. Maybe having more and more newcomers would give him something else to do. I liked Xigbar; he was always full of energy and was the definition of optimistic. He was often found in weird places: halfway up a tree, on the roof of his house, in the middle of a field, those sorts of places. When I found him, he was hanging upside down on a bar outside a park. Only something he would be found doing.

He shot me that trademark grin of his when I finally managed to get his attention, but refused to return to being upright. Oh well, he would have to eventually, when all his blood could be found in his head.

"So whatcha doin' here, Xemmy? Finally run out of stuff to do?"  
"I could ask you the same thing, Xig." He shook his head, shutting his one eye as he did so. How he lost one the other one and obtained all those scars would forever remain a mystery.

"We both know that there ain't much to do here, Xemmy. There ain't been a bust up or somethin' in years."

He almost sighed as he talked, and I realised that his eye burned with a desperate longing to see some sort of action. Maybe Saïx's war would finally give him something new to do.

"I guess. But something's come up, so don't lose heart just yet. Things could get interesting."

"What, you mean those two new kids? How'd they get 'ere anyways?"

"There's this barrier, and it's stopped us getting to this other world for years. But it's broken now, Xig, and that world's currently at war with itself, a cruel and heartless war. And someone just happened to come across the open barrier by chance-"  
"Like an alien?"

There was no hiding the excitement in Xigbar's voice, and he seemed so interested in what I had to say that he lost his grip on the bar and fell (much to my amusement). Most people would have been angry at me for laughing, but Xigbar just smiled and decided to continue to lie down where he was. Another thing about my eye patched friend; he was extremely carefree. I nodded, and after a considerable silence, continued.

"Sort of. Anyway, a lot of his friends are being hunted down, so I've agreed to let them hide here."

"Holy shit, dude. So we're now an alien hide-out?"  
"Not quite, Xig. We're just letting them stay here, otherwise they'd be killed."

He nodded in understanding. It had not taken him long to realise that it was a serious situation.

"And why ain't your friend here? Don't whoever it is that are chasin' people want 'im too?

I shook my head.  
"They're called Nazis, and they have no reason to want him. If they found out he was helping people, then they'd kill him."

Silence. Just to let it all sink to for Xigbar. It was the same silence Saïx and I had when he explained it all to me. I stared at the sunset, enjoying its warmth. Xigbar stood up and nodded.

"That's a big thing, Xemmy. I hope you know whatcha gettin' yourself into, dude. I'd love to 'ear more, but I gotta go."

"Alright then, maybe if you're really lucky, you'll get to meet Saïx."

Xigbar grinned again.

"That's 'is name?"

I nodded at him, and he simply walked off. Saïx had not come today, which concerned me slightly. I thought he would have wanted to make sure his friends were okay. But there had to be a reason behind his absence. Things could have gotten worse, or better.

_Maybe he died…_

I shook my head violently. Saïx could not die, he had no reason to. Surely two missing people in a small town could go unnoticed in such a dire state. And surely he would not leave without saying goodbye. I was simply assuming the worst. Saïx would come and visit tomorrow.

I knew he would.


End file.
